This letter presents an experimental realization of a sub-terahertz metallic gradient index (GRIN) lens multi-beam antenna operating at 355 GHz. The antenna is composed of a surface-wave Luneburg lens based on a bed of nails and a feeder array of nine WR-2.2 waveguides. The lens and the feeding structures are fabricated by the same high-precision 3D printing technique and are metalized using magnetron-sputtering gold coating. The antenna has been measured, showing good reflection coefficients below -12.5 dB at all ports and multiple independent beams covering a range of ±60°, which agree very well with the simulation. The measured gains are above 16 dBi and the scan loss is below 1.2 dB. This work demonstrates a novel manufacture and implementation approach for metallic multibeam lens antennas at sub-terahertz frequencies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.